CHAPTER XXVII

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada

by Washington Irving

CHAPTER XXVII, CHRONICLE OF THE CONQUEST OF GRANADA by Washington Irving

FORAY OF CHRISTIAN KNIGHTS INTO THE TERRITORY OF THE MOORS.


The Spanish cavaliers who had survived the memorable massacre
among the mountains of Malaga, although they had repeatedly
avenged the deaths of their companions, could not forget the horror
and humiliation of their defeat. Nothing would satisfy them but a
second expedition of the kind to carry fire and sword throughout a
wide part of the Moorish territories, and leave the region which had
triumphed in their disaster a black and burning monument of their
vengeance. Their wishes accorded with the policy of the king to
destroy the resources of the enemy; every assistance was therefore
given to their enterprise.

In the spring of 1484 the ancient city of Antiquera again resounded
with arms; numbers of the same cavaliers who had assembled there
so gayly the preceding year came wheeling into the gates with their
steeled and shining warriors, but with a more dark and solemn brow
than on that disastrous occasion, for they had the recollection of
their slaughtered friends present to their minds, whose deaths they
were to avenge.

In a little while there was a chosen force of six thousand horse and
twelve thousand foot assembled in Antiquera, many of them the very
flower of Spanish chivalry, troops of the established military and
religious orders and of the Holy Brotherhood.

Precautions had been taken to furnish this army with all things
needful for its perilous inroad. Numerous surgeons accompanied it,
who were to attend upon the sick and wounded without charge,
being paid for their services by the queen. Isabella also, in her
considerate humanity, provided six spacious tents furnished with
beds and all things needful for the wounded and infirm. These
continued to be used in all great expeditions throughout the war,
and were called the Queen's Hospital. The worthy father, Fray
Antonio Agapida, vaunts this benignant provision of the queen as the
first introduction of a regular camp hospital in campaigning service.

Thus thoroughly prepared, the cavaliers issued forth from Antiquera
in splendid and terrible array, but with less exulting confidence
and vaunting ostentation than on their former foray; and this was
the order of the army: Don Alonso de Aguilar led the advance guard,
accompanied by Don Diego Fernandez de Cordova, the alcayde de los
Donceles, and Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero, count of Palma, with
their household troops. They were followed by Juan de Merlo, Juan
de Almara, and Carlos de Biezman of the Holy Brotherhood, with the
men-at-arms of their captaincies.

The second battalion was commanded by the marques of Cadiz and the
master of Santiago, with the cavaliers of Santiago and the troops of
the house of Ponce Leon; with these also went the senior commander
of Calatrava and the knights of that order, and various other
cavaliers and their retainers.

The right wing of this second battalion was led by Gonsalvo de
Cordova, afterward renowned as grand captain of Spain; the left by
Diego Lopez de Avila. They were accompanied by several distinguished
cavaliers and certain captains of the Holy Brotherhood with their
men-at-arms.

The duke of Medina Sidonia and the count de Cabra commanded the
third battalion, with the troops of their respective houses. They
were accompanied by other commanders of note with their forces.

The rear-guard was brought up by the senior commander and knights
of Alcantara, followed by the Andalusian chivalry from Xeres, Ecija,
and Carmona.

Such was the army that issued forth from the gates of Antiquera on
one of the most extensive "talas," or devastating inroads, that ever
laid waste the kingdom of Granada.

The army entered the Moorish territory by the way of Alora,
destroying all the cornfields, vineyards, and orchards and
plantations of olives round that city. It then proceeded through the
rich valleys and fertile uplands of Coin, Cazarabonela, Almexia, and
Cartama, and in ten days all those fertile regions were a smoking
and frightful desert. Hence it pursued its slow and destructive
course, like the stream of lava of a volcano, through the regions of
Pupiana and Alhendin, and so on to the vega of Malaga, laying waste
the groves of olives and almonds and the fields of grain, and
destroying every green thing. The Moors of some of those places
interceded in vain for their groves and fields, offering to deliver
up their Christian captives. One part of the army blockaded the
towns, while the other ravaged the surrounding country. Sometimes
the Moors sallied forth desperately to defend their property, but
were driven back to their gates with slaughter and their suburbs
pillaged and burnt. It was an awful spectacle at night to behold the
volumes of black smoke mingled with lurid flames rising from the
burning suburbs, and the women on the walls of the town wringing
their hands and shrieking at the desolation of their dwellings.

The destroying army on arriving at the sea-coast found vessels lying
off shore laden with all kinds of provisions and munitions sent from
Seville and Xeres, and was thus enabled to continue its desolating
career. Advancing to the neighborhood of Malaga, it was bravely
assailed by the Moors of that city, and there was severe skirmishing
for a whole day; but, while the main part of the army encountered
the enemy, the rest ravaged the whole vega and destroyed all the
mills. As the object of the expedition was not to capture places, but
merely to burn, ravage, and destroy, the host, satisfied with the
mischief they had done in the vega, turned their backs upon Malaga
and again entered the mountains. They passed by Coin and
through the regions of Allazayna, and Gatero, and Alhaurin, all
which were likewise desolated. In this way did they make the circuit
of a chain of rich and verdant valleys, the glory of those mountains
and the pride and delight of the Moors. For forty days did they
continue on like a consuming fire, leaving a smoking and howling
waste to mark their course, until, weary with the work of
destruction, and having fully sated their revenge for the massacre
of the Axarquia, they returned in triumph to the meadows of
Antiquera.

In the month of June, King Ferdinand took command in person of this
destructive army; he increased its force, and added to its means of
mischief several lombards and other heavy artillery, intended for
the battering of towns and managed by engineers from France and
Germany. With these the[7]marques of Cadiz assured the king he
would soon be able to reduce the Moorish fortresses, which were
only calculated for defence against the engines anciently used in
warfare. Their walls and towers were high and thin, depending for
security on their rough and rocky situations. The stone and iron
balls thundered from the lombards would soon tumble them in ruins
upon the heads of their defenders.

The fate of Alora speedily proved the truth of this opinion. It was
strongly posted on a rock washed by a river. The artillery soon
battered down two of the towers and a part of the wall. The Moors
were thrown into consternation at the vehemence of the assault and
the effect of those tremendous engines upon their vaunted bulwarks.
The roaring of the artillery and the tumbling of the walls terrified
the women, who beset the alcayde with vociferous supplications
to surrender. The place was given up on the 20th of June, on
condition that the inhabitants might depart with their effects. The
people of Malaga, as yet unacquainted with the power of this
battering ordnance, were so incensed at those of Alora for what
they considered a tame surrender that they would not admit them
into their city.

A similar fate attended the town of Setenil, built on a lofty rock and
esteemed impregnable. Many times had it been besieged under
former Christian kings, but never taken. Even now, for several days
the artillery was directed against it without effect, and many of
the cavaliers murmured at the marques of Cadiz for having counselled
the king to attack this unconquerable place.*

*Cura de los Palacios.


On the same night that these reproaches were uttered the marques
directed the artillery himself: he levelled the lombards at the
bottom of the walls and at the gates. In a little while the gates
were battered to pieces, a great breach was effected in the walls,
and the Moors were fain to capitulate. Twenty-four Christian
captives, who had been taken in the defeat of the mountains of
Malaga, were rescued from the dungeons of this fortress, and hailed
the marques as their deliverer.

Needless is it to mention the capture of various other places which
surrendered without waiting to be attacked. The Moors had always
shown great bravery and perseverance in defending their towns;
they were formidable in their sallies and skirmishes, and patient in
enduring hunger and thirst when besieged; but this terrible
ordnance, which demolished their walls with such ease and rapidity,
overwhelmed them with dismay and rendered vain all resistance.
King Ferdinand was so struck with the effect of this artillery that
he ordered the number of lombards to be increased; and these
potent engines had henceforth a great influence on the fortunes
of this war.

The last operation of this year, so disastrous to the Moors, was an
inroad by Ferdinand, in the latter part of summer, into the Vega, in
which he ravaged the country, burnt two villages near to Granada,
and destroyed the mills near the very gates of the city.

Old Muley Abul Hassan was overwhelmed with dismay at the desolation
which during the whole year had raged throughout his territories and
had now reached the walls of his capital. His fierce spirit was
broken by misfortunes and infirmity; he offered to purchase a peace
and to hold his crown as a tributary vassal. Ferdinand would listen
to no propositions: the absolute conquest of Granada was the great
object of this war, and he was resolved never to rest content
without its complete fulfilment. Having supplied and strengthened
the garrisons of the places taken in the heart of the Moorish
territories, he enjoined their commanders to render every assistance
to the younger Moorish king in the civil war against his father. He
then returned with his army to Cordova in great triumph, closing a
series of ravaging campaigns which had filled the kingdom of Granada
with grief and consternation.